NaWenWentsu Week 2017 (Late Edition) Ultra Late Version
by The wiErDos Association
Summary: A series of -short- chapters dedicated to our adorable dragonslayer pairing as well as for the community who made it possible. Shout out thanks to all the members and supporters, especially to NinNinKakizaki2015 for leading the community.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Heya guys. wiErD here and I have a new story for you all.**

 **As I was saying from the last month, I'm taking part of the NaWen Week created by our community in honor of this ship so this story would be different. And even though through the end of the manga, I still believe this is my only OTP so it's natural that I write for their sake. Unfortunately, I got a few setbacks during my time of the week so I wasn't able to post this chapter right on time starting from July 23 so I apologize for these late-ass uploads. Hopefully, I can deliver what I can in order for you all to appreciate it.**

 **Anyways, leaving at that, there will be themes, each describing how the relationship in this pairing is portrayed in my eyes IF such a development occurs with these two, starting in this order.**

 **Day 1 Hidden Feelings**

 **Day 2 Neglect**

 **Day 3 Confession**

 **Day 4 First Date**

 **Day 5 Conflict**

 **Day 6 Reconciliation**

 **Day 7 Family**

 **So let's get started.**

 **Oh, and didn't I mention time skips? Yeah, these themes have it all.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or any of its elements. All belong to its respective owner. Support the official release.**

* * *

 **\- Hidden Feelings -**

 _..._

 _Things start out as simple understandings._

 _Even life begins in its simplest being._

 _And over time, it becomes complex_ ― _difficult to understand._

 _My feelings of admiration for him are but a simple adoration._

 _And who would've known that these feelings would turn into something_ ―

― _That I would come to crave for the most._

 _..._

* * *

 **July 23, X795. Inside Fairy Hills.**

* * *

The light of the new morning was the first thing she saw as Wendy shook herself awake, flickering her eyes from the blinding rays coming from her window. She slowly rubbed her eyes to shake off the drowsiness before slowly gazing at the open window where she saw the light.

It's her usual morning as the sound of the birds chirped in their nests and the morning dew vanished from the far high mountains. Her body still under the effects of her sleep, slowly began to spring back to life. She yawned silently, stretching both her hands upward to further shake off the drowsy feeling inside her.

After a moment, she finally woken up.

She took a few minutes of silence for herself before tracing her eyes onto her left as she saw much of her room which coupled with several furnitures and stuff that housed all of her things. Seemingly everything related to her everyday necessities could be seen such as clothes, chairs, tables, etc.

Afterward, she leaned right over the edge of her bed, spotting an empty cat bed which her Exceed was supposed to sleep.

It looks like she already went outside before she could wake up.

Leaning her body back to the bed, she shifted away from her room interior and gazed into the window once again. The sight of the distant town etched right into her mind as she recalled a lot of memories that contained a lot of memorable things.

Why did she suddenly started reminiscing about her past?

It's an unusual feeling, unknowingly looking back to something that happened a long time ago.

She stared at the scenery for a moment as her thoughts trailed off. A short silence assailed in the air, leaving only the sounds of nature to enter her ears as she began to ponder a lot of things in her mind.

It's been always like this for her recently.

Every time she would find a time to indulge herself, she would begin recalling the past, thinking deeply of every moment she saw in her eyes no matter how small or vague that memory had become. Usually, she wouldn't do this with others around her so being alone gives her the only time to do this kind of thing.

Having only herself to understand these recurring thoughts in her mind, she felt troubled to cope with them.

And at some point, certain feelings do surface as she looked back at the times she spent along with her friends.

―Thoughts that kept bugging her until now.

―The strange feeling she had felt ever since that time.

 _'_ _Why... What is this feeling that I don't understand?'_

She contemplated, placing her hand on her chest where she felt the faint beating of her heart reacting to her thoughts as she thought about that person. She could not understand the current feelings inside and would grow strong whenever she thinks of him.

It wasn't anything serious to her but over time, she began to worry herself about it, keeping it to herself without telling anyone. She wanted to make sure of everything if it's just something that she could easily get over with if taken enough time.

However, that feeling never faded in her.

By that time, she could not help but feel conscious.

She knew it's just a feeling of admiration but even then, she could no longer see it that way.

―Because it had turned into something new.

Her eyes stared softly at the window once more as her thoughts occupied her for a moment. Drowning in her pool of thoughts, her lips slowly opened.

 _'_ _Natsu-san.'_

* * *

 **...**

* * *

It was ten in the morning.

Breakfast had already been served for the tenants of the dorm and Wendy had already changed into her usual clothes as she joined along with the other girls living with her. Her outfit consisted only of a light blue top with tiny white frills on edges and short white pants, reaching only to her legs in midsection.

Choices of fashion change in the growing years as Wendy grew out from her younger days and began wearing the same standard outfit as that of every teenage girl. She valued simple ones and doesn't think that much about the style of clothes.

Simplicity could also bring some charm into it―she thought.

...

The bluenette made her way downstairs, greeting some of the tenants along the way as she proceeded to the kitchen.

A long table is seen coupled with multiple chairs in which some of them were occupied by familiar faces as she easily recognized them due to the time she spent with them in the dorm together. The remaining vacant chairs brought her to think that the others either might still be sleeping soundly in their rooms or they might've already gone on their way to the guild.

She didn't bother asking too much about it as she sat on one of the chairs to eat breakfast.

The sound of the utensils clashing filled the room as some of the other girls began talking during their meals. Wendy seemed fine enough to speak but she had nothing to talk about or anything to start up a conversation so she silently ate without giving much of any presence of her in the kitchen.

Today's breakfast was quieter than usual.

Soon afterward, Erza came out from her room with her hair visibly messy at first glance as the girls all turned to her like it's a normal thing.

"Morning, everyone~"

"Morning... Better get up soon. It's already late, you know." Levy, one of the girls who sat beside Wendy spoke to the scarlet woman as she notified her.

"Yeah, yeah... I'll be there in the second." The tired woman yawned as she drew herself back to her room to prepare.

It's pretty interesting to note how the scarlet knight could show such an unladylike manner when asleep or half-awake. No one from the outside had seen this side of her as most see her as a strict woman with a strict moral sense of justice.

Wendy had simply thought about that as she sipped into her cup, watching the whole morning go by.

"Thank you for the meal."

She turned to head back to her room to get prepare some things until Levy's voice called her back.

"Hey, Wendy. Wanna tag along with me to the guild later?"

The bluenette made a short pause before letting out a soft smile.

"Sure thing." She saw her nodding her head which seemed to be a sign of confirmation from the bookworm herself.

Without anything to bother her downstairs, she proceeded back to her room.

Arriving at the hall, she soon found her best friend standing near their door as if pondering something in thought.

"What are you doing out here, Carla?"

The white feline was startled from her sudden appearance which brought her to a short stutter.

"W-Wendy... I'm just about done. A-Are you going in by any chance?"

The tone of her voice looks to be someone who's nervous at something. Wendy could pretty much guess what was going on. It's not like they both knew each other that long to be able to notice what was going on between them. It was more of an intuition since today seems to be a special day for the white cat. As such, she didn't want to pry any more questions about her meeting with a certain someone.

"I was until I saw you standing at the door." She replied as she slowly approaches right beside her.

"I-I see... I'm just about done here as well so I should be on my way. Are you going to be alright by yourself?"

"I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself, alright? I'll meet you at the guild once I'm finished up here, okay?" She voiced in reassurance in which made the Exceed relieved as she adopted a smile.

"Alright then..."

Wendy gave a smile of satisfaction as she watched the white feline unfurled her wings before headed straight downstairs.

"I hope Happy accepts your confession." She saw her quickly lose her composure as Carla was left stuttered in mid-sentence, glancing right back only to see her closing the door before she could retort against her friend's tease.

Since when did she become this sharp-witted?

...

Wendy closed the door right behind her as soon as she finished her conversation with the Exceed. She rested her back against the door as she released a deep sigh before sliding her body back down to the floor. She sat with her legs slightly bent as her thoughts wavered once again. Her body relaxed from the tension she'd been having ever since that morning.

For some reason, she didn't feel like doing anything. But the impulse of getting to the guild would always push her ahead because of the things to look forward to.

She stared into open space as the feeling hadn't vanished yet.

She can't go out like this.

She wouldn't want to worry the others because of this complicated feeling.

In response, she got back on her feet again before lightly slapping her cheeks to snap her way out of her daze. She shouldn't slack off today as there are a lot of things she wanted to look forward to this day.

After clearing her thoughts, she went out to the door once again. Since she waited inside the room, most of the other girls already ventured out to the guild. The young woman walked down only to see Levy and Erza waiting for her at the entrance door with the latter seemingly checking out the hall one last time before locking it to regroup with them.

"Sorry, I'm late."

"Don't worry. We were also just about finished up here. Ready to go?"

"Sure."

"Alright! Let's go!"

And with that, the three departed from the dorm and walked the road.

The trip didn't go in silence as Levy and Erza chattered amongst themselves with the former discussing her future with Gajeel. Of course, such topic isn't really a suitable thing to discuss openly for both the latter and the bluenette since they're always getting flustered in the process.

A lot of things happened ever since after the war.

It's been three years since then.

The world had started rebuilding itself from the ravages of battles and destruction that occurred between two continents. You could say, a new era has finally dawned at the end of this war. An era of peace and stability between both sides and also for the eradication of Acnologia thanks to the combined efforts of her alongside with other dragonslayers.

Well, she can't really say that it was only them alone who did the work. All the people of Ishgar had contributed to that one last battle in defeating the evil dragon once and for all and bring peace to Earthland.

Wendy had grown quite a lot in these past few years as she gained a lot of height in which she now stood equal to Levy and slightly lower to Erza who's currently the tallest in the group. Her body had undergone a lot of change as well as she slowly developed womanly curves which she's still getting used to due to wishfully thinking about having one despite years of losing hope to her slow physical development.

She also grew out from her innocent self and now sport a feminine beauty charm as her hair became silkier and longer than before. At one time, she eventually stopped tying her hair and decided to let it all flow down naturally like Erza's cascaded scarlet hair.

Her personality also underwent drastic changes but some bits of her once childlike personality tends to linger around once in awhile which included her usual timid nature.

Nevertheless, these years have changed her a lot along with other people whom she spent alongside with.

"Hey, so Wendy. Have you considered getting a boyfriend?"

Cutting through her train of thoughts, her eyes widened as soon as she heard Levy asking her directly with a question. Around the same time, her face slowly blushed due to the nature of the topic that she lost track of in due to their thoughts.

"U-Uh―Ummm, what?"

"I'm telling you, have you considered looking for a boyfriend? You've been out of it ever since last year. You've been spacing quite often as if you've been thinking a lot of things in your mind."

"A-Ah, I never really thought about it. It's nothing to worry about. It is just as you said, I've been thinking a lot of things lately."

"Like what?"

"Umm, something difficult to understand, I guess..." She didn't know how to put it in words.

"Would you like to tell us about it? Erza's here so she knew a lot of things." Levy looked at the red-haired woman who merely smiled proudly, wanting to answer to her expectations.

"That's right. If something's troubling you, I'm obliged to help out."

Wendy is not the kind of person who would want to burden others with her problems so she kindly denied their offers as she held both her hands up front in reassurance to them.

"Y-You don't have to worry about me, really. It's just a small thing. It'll get over soon." She smiled softly which only caused them to pause for a moment before dismissing the subject.

"Okay, if you insist. Just try not to bottle that up all to yourself. We're here for you, okay?" Erza reminded, her face showing signs of care for the sky dragonslayer teen.

"Of course, I'll do my best, Levy-san."

With her topic out of the way, the mood changed as Levy returned back to her usual topic in which the other two simply smiled along as they continued their conversation.

* * *

 **...**

* * *

The three stood in front of the large building after arriving just in time to witness it open for the day. The building had undergone some repairs and remodeling due to it not withstanding fully throughout the war. This place had suffered a lot of damage and who knows just how many times it has been rebuilt due to it not surviving from its previous disasters.

Nevertheless, it's their home and it's the only place where they can share their happy moments and memories with their friends who stood alongside them in times of conflict.

Wendy felt an unusual feeling right inside her heart as she looked at the emblem located right in front of the guild's middle floors where a large banner is seen, carrying the same sign that was engraved onto her right shoulder as it gave her a sense of nostalgia.

Every time she looked at it, it reminded her the warmth that she had when she first entered inside.

After suffering a cold passing of her previous guild, she was welcomed with open arms by the people who accepted her despite her nature as a dragonslayer in which she thought would be upsetting in the eyes of others due to her young age of holding such magic.

A lot of complicated things happened here and there but that was years from now and the people had already accepted her of who she is and she was gladly happy for it.

Erza moved ahead to open the door as they were greeted by the nostalgic sight of their everyday lives inside this guild.

 ** _*CRASH*_**

Yup...

The eternally sweet atmosphere was quickly shattered as a body was first seen in front of their eyes. One part of the nostalgic experience was, unfortunately, one of these situations.

Chairs were flying up high, tables were turned and the intoxicating scent of booze filled the air with the brim laughter and noise of the people working inside. Guildmates fighting other guild mates in the contest of rivalry. Others just wanted to throw themselves into the fray to liven things up―with the cost of structural damage of course.

None of these people had the word 'careful' in their heads so why bother about the damage?

Wendy felt a cold sweat running down her forehead as she engrossed herself in this nostalgic sight.

...Ah, this scene never gets old no matter how much time passed.

The three stood blankly as the young woman felt another cold sweat dripping from her forehead after seeing the shadowed look on the redhead's face.

It almost seemed like she was already guessing the patterns how this day would turn out even with just looking at these scenes over and over again.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU IDIOTS ARE DOING?!"

...

After a few moments of beating up the perpetrators for disturbing the peace inside the guild, the place was returned to normal. Wendy had reunited with the two as they sat on one of the tables alongside with their other friends―well, some of them since a certain two were found knocked out cold after a severe beating from the scarlet knight herself.

And from what it looks like, the two needed some treatment.

Wendy couldn't tell if she would want to heal them first or fear of another fight breaking out which would spark the same scene over again.

Well, she chose the former.

Not wanting to get in the wrath of the Titania now, aren't we?

"Iyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa... I thought the guild's gonna blow up any second soon. Good thing you arrived just in time, Erza." Lucy cried out in relief as she was one of the people who stood witness of the guild turning into some kind of a battlefield every time brawl breaks out.

"They deserved it. Just when I thought today would come out as normal for us, I'd find it being ruined by another of their pointless fights." Erza sighed. Her mood looking worse as ever after delivering punishment to the ones who started it all.

"Can't help it. These people aren't really getting that much fight ever since the war, you know." Lucy joked.

"It's not really assuring to hear that. The world almost ended."

"I know, I know... I'm just kidding. But you can't stop these people every day. It's like every usual thing ever."

"Well, if it's going to be like that, I'm just going to minimize the destruction at the very least."

"Right."

The conversation continued for awhile until Natsu and Gray finally woke up from their sleep as both of them rubbed their heads after wincing in pain from the smack done by Erza. It looks like the two had calmed down for now as they turned towards the group in surprise.

"Oh, I didn't you realize you guys would be here."

"You just didn't notice because we're knocked out cold, remember?"

"I'm not talking to you, Stripper!"

"You wanna go?!"

Just when things are about to settle down, these two had already relit their spark which only then released Erza's seething aura.

 **"** **Didn't I told you two to quiet down?!"**

"HIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE! WE'RE SORRY!"

Noticing her tone of voice, the two rivals immediately obeyed her as if they were her loyal dogs. No one could really expect how these two remained to their former selves after all these years. It's quite a shock that there's not a single change that happened with these two except for several instances. It is as if these two intend to retain this kind of relationship at the very end of their lives.

Really, a true sworn rival pact between two people.

"Anyways... we should also get a job soon since none of us have anything to do at the moment so why don't you take Wendy and scout ahead from the Request Board, Natsu." Changing the topic, Erza looked at the pinkette in anticipation.

"A-Ah, sure..." Natsu quickly abided to her orders as Wendy too also jolted into attention upon hearing her name.

The pinkette looked over to the blue-haired teen who happens to be looking at him by chance as he walked to her, urging her to come along.

"Let's go, Wendy..."

"U-Um―yeah sure..."

And with that, the two left the group as they make their way over to the Request Board located near the bar counter. Since their table was pretty much far from it, the two had to walk for quite awhile. At that moment, Natsu had already begun speaking openly as if complaining.

"That Erza... Ordering me around like that. It's not my fault for destroying those tables." It looks he was still bitter about the whole thing that happened earlier.

Wendy forcedly smiled as to show reassurance since she doesn't know the words to help him in his situation.

"...O-Oh, and sorry for involving you, Wendy. I didn't really mean it. It would be fine if I'm the only one who took the request."

"It's fine. You don't have to worry about that. It's not that I'm bothered to come along. I think I just wanted to walk for a bit as well, you know." She flailed her hands in reassurance earning his confusion which would then turn into relief.

"Is that so? Well, I'm glad. I honestly didn't tag along with you and Carla enough though so I was hoping I could spare you some time alone as well." He muttered.

"Really?"

"Yeah... Speaking of which, have you seen Happy around? I tried looking for him in the house but he didn't say a word about leaving first." He asked, his face adopting another set of confused looks to their conversation.

"Ah, I thought you knew..."

"What?"

"Actually, Carla had been asked out by Happy on a date so they had to share their time alone for now."

What happened after only made the pinkette more surprised.

"R-Really?! Did they finally hit it off?!" Asking as if looking really surprised about the revelation.

"Well, that depends on what would happen later. So to speak, they won't be coming with us on our job today."

"I-I see... I oughta congratulate him once I get back." Seeing him praising his partner, Wendy could only giggle in response.

"What? Is something wrong with what I've said?"

"Nothing. It's just that... you're always looking out for him. I thought you wouldn't notice their relationship."

"Nah, I kinda knew how Happy likes Carla but I didn't pay attention to it awhile back so I thought about doing something about it. You know... supporting them and congratulating them―that sort of thing." He sheepishly replied, having to scratch at the back of his head in response.

On the other hand, Wendy thought out in surprise to his words since he's pretty much paying attention to others, especially their feelings.

Let it be known that the pinkette hadn't much of any care towards romances and other things. The only things that kept him busy are food and fighting which pretty much suits his dense character.

For him to act mature towards their Exceeds' relationship, he pretty much did it well enough.

Like a father to a son giving a good nod to his first date, it seems like he was starting to get conscious about it as well. Wendy wondered what made him took such action to change. The reason, however, remains unknown.

Looking at how their conversation is going, it looks like it's going pretty well for the two of them. This is rather the first time they've ever talked this much about their personal lives.

After a moment of silence, Natsu began changing the topic.

"So, hey―uhh... How are you doing right now?"

"What?" Wendy asked, not fully understanding his question just now.

"I mean, how're you holding up? These past few years, I mean. It's pretty tough now that Carla isn't around you all the time."

"Well, I did feel a bit lonely when she started going out but I wanted to be independent even without her around so I can bear this much for myself. Plus, there's Erza and the others who can keep me company back at the dorm."

"Is that so? I'm glad to hear it." For some reason, he sounded a bit relieved after saying that.

Was he confirming about something?

Wendy thought that for a moment after noticing that unusual behavior but her thoughts soon came to a stop after hearing his next question.

"Say, Wendy, do you like someone?"

Of course, she would stop functioning―not literally―since she heard this from him who would never ask such a thing. Then again, she's been thinking about how he's changed over these past few years so this development shouldn't be this shocking to her.

Aside from that, the bluenette felt her cheeks rising up in heat as her face immediately became flustered. For some reason, she felt embarrassed hearing it from him but it didn't stop her from managing a reply.

"W-W-Why do you ask?" She looked at him as she tried regaining her composure while Natsu had his face seemingly in deep thought.

"Why you ask... I'm just curious. You know... things like that. Is it bothersome to be asked like that?"

Well, this is certainly interesting. Simply giving an answer of curiosity could probably mean with many things. But Wendy couldn't stop her blush yet as she couldn't control her embarrassment in the process. Her mind was literally filled with confusion and who knows just how she could answer back to him right away.

"N-No, it's alright! It's just that... I'm surprised."

"Surprised?"

"Yeah."

"What part of my question made you surprised?"

"All of it."

"You're weird..."

"That I am... I'm sorry about that." Wanting to make sure of things, Wendy thought about derailing off topic until she found him laughing for some reason.

Her composure already returned as soon as she saw him acting like that.

Did she say something funny?

"U-Umm... Natsu-san?"

"I'm sorry, Wendy! It's just that―it's just really you." He couldn't stop laughing at her as Wendy felt entirely puzzled in the process.

"Huuuh?"

"Your way of talking suits really like you! That's why I can't help it! Haha!"

It was then she realized what he was laughing at. Her face adopted a rather upsetting look as she puffed her cheeks peevishly.

"Muoooo... There you go again, Natsu-san."

This is the first time he'd actually teased her like this. Natsu would never take the time to tease someone as silly as this since he often does this as a way of livening things up. In truth, he only does this to Lucy but she never thought about him doing something as to tease her on his own accord.

Meanwhile, Natsu finally got over his laugh as he looks at her with the same displeased expression.

"But you know... I'm really glad."

"Hmm? What did you say?"

"Nothing... Anyways, let's get going. I wanna pick some good job requests! What do you want, Wendy?"

"A-Ah, me?" Wendy stared wide-eyed, seeing she was asked about the job.

"Yeah. It's not like I'm just gonna pick a job without you agreeing to it."

"Well... Any kind of job you take is okay for me."

"That's pretty difficult." Natsu scratched his head in confusion.

In truth, Wendy really didn't pick jobs personally for the team since it's always him or the rest of the team who decides for it in which she fully accepts afterward.

There was short silence as Natsu began to speak.

"Alright... If you can't pick a job for the team, pick something you want when we go together, okay?"

"Eh? Why?"

Wendy can't say she was surprised but her face slightly flushed red hearing that from him.

"Why, you ask? I just want to spend some time with you. It's fine if you include Carla, I'll tag Happy along since he's going to like it."

"Well, aren't you going to have any jobs from others?"

"Hmm... Not that I remember but I guess I would choose you first."

Her face turned red once again. Unable to face him right between the eyes, she could only stare right in front of her direction, trying to keep her blush as hidden as possible.

"Ah, we're going to be late if Erza knows we took too much time. Let's go, Wendy!"

And in just like that, Natsu had walked a few steps ahead as he make his way towards the board with an overjoyed expression. Wendy tilted her head in confusion towards his sudden exhilaration but she merely brushed it aside and followed him from behind. She wouldn't want to ruin his mood now that he's pumped up more than ever before.

Her thoughts looked back to his question that made her surprised for today. She wanted to take a look back to that time when he asked her about it.

The fluttering feeling she felt inside her heart grew stronger at that time. Even though she regarded it as a joke from him to tease her, she couldn't help but feel conscious about it―whether Natsu felt the same as her during that time.

It's just a simple assumption. There's no way he would feel that way towards her. She only looked up to him as a brother figure but―

―These recurring feelings slowly began to distort her way of view towards him.

Although she still didn't realize it, the words she heard from him are indicating her to realize it.

I wonder if that goes the same for him as well.

She could only think back to herself.

* * *

 **A/N: And there you have it. The first theme of the week is all about Hidden Feelings. The title of the chapter would indicate the theme since I suck at thinking good titles for it.**

 **In addition, all of my themes will be directly connected to the aftermath of the last chapter of the manga (With a time-skip ofc). And yes, I've read it and I felt unsatisfied by it. Even I had already supported the canon pairings but in the end, it still got cockblocked and the rest of the pieces were left open, except for a few ones ofc.** **Still, not the best arc and certainly not the worst ending to this series so kudos to Mashima for handling it... well, I guess** ― **I don't know.**

 **Anyways, next theme would be Neglect so look forward to it.**

 **\- The wiErDos send their regards...**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Heya guys. wiErD here and I have the next theme for you all.**

 **Just a quick headsup about something. I updated the first chapter since I realized there were some parts that I haven't included so more like a I posted the early version of it so go back and read it again since I missed some parts that would be connected to this chapter.**

 **Oh, before I forget to announce, all these themes will be connected to each other so kinda like a short story but only fleshing out between characters and to their possible romance so there will be a lot of skipped scenes here and there but I promise to make sure for you all not to get lost in the reading.**

 **And with that, let's get to the next theme.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or any of its elements. All belong to its respective owner. Support the official release.**

* * *

 **\- Neglect -**

Wendy thought about how many times she felt like this before. She never had this feeling and it only caused her nothing but problems and suffering. If she had the chance to avoid it all, she could've done it but she was powerless to do so. Even until now, she couldn't take a chance of relieving herself from this pain. It just wouldn't leave her alone.

―The feeling of riding a transportation.

The blue-haired teen struggled to compose herself as she sat uncomfortably in the near seats of the carriage that she's currently riding.

A trip to their client had taken for about an hour so she's stuck here having to deal with her own motion sickness. Of course, it's not her alone who also share the same state. Beside her was Natsu who had seen worse of his condition in which he couldn't help but bear with it like her.

One of the most painful things to experience in her growing years was this sickness. It's not entirely hereditary since this only applies to dragonslayers who are bestowed by their dragon parents with immeasurable power to slay dragons.

Because of this development, Wendy could no longer handle herself in riding transportation as much as she can from before. She really did like riding in coaches since it provides a good rest during long trips but now...

―Her peaceful moments have been replaced by excruciating hours of pain over her head.

"Just hold it in for now, we're almost there at the destination." Lucy worried over the two despite how many times they've seen them like this. Although her concern is much more focused on the bluenette rather than the other since Wendy hadn't gone used to it yet.

Beside her was Erza and Gray whom for the latter by the way had the urge to come along despite having to spend some time with Juvia back in the guild. He thought coming along for the sake of the team since he and the water mage pretty much don't have the lack of time of being together.

Yup, Gray and Juvia finally got together after a few years. It looks like both had something to realize each other during those times and the rest of them could only congratulate the man for finally accepting her feelings of love.

Even so, his usual beefing with the fire dragonslayer doesn't change but he definitely matured enough to prioritize his relationship with Juvia since he, too wanted to nourish this relationship with her.

"Really, it's been years since then and you can't even get used to it. Wendy's doing a far better job that you are, Flame-brain." There he goes with the usual banter towards his rival.

"S-Shut up, stripper. When I get out of this, I swear―Guuhwweeee―!"

Poor Natsu wanted to answer back but it seems like his motion sickness got the better of him, leading him to halt his insult towards the raven-haired mage who now had his clothes mysteriously disappearing in front of him.

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Your clothes! YOUR CLOTHES!" Lucy being next to him could only shout out in panic as Gray slowly realized himself semi-naked again.

"AH GODDAMMIT! WHEN DID THEY DISAPPEAR?!"

"DON'T ASK ME, YOU PERVERT!"

Earning a smack from the blonde-haired mage, the group's usual antics continued on for quite awhile until they finally reached their destination.

...

After stopping their ride near their destination, they followed a small path leading to an abandoned town where rumors of monster infestation took place. The request that the two took requires a simple extermination of monsters that invaded the town which chased out the people in fear of their lives.

The group arrived and saw the town crawling with a lot of giant monsters, ranging at least the height of two humans in scale. Some of them have characteristics resembling an ant while some have grotesque features that are far too gruesome to describe.

From how it looks, it seems like some monster nest infestation took place and led these things in the town. Moreover, the stench of the air is not appalling at very least. If anything, the town could not be saved due to it slowly becoming part of the nest itself.

"Waaaaaaaaah... This looks bad. Just how long did it become like this?" Lucy looked at the town's appearance by which Erza, on the other hand, began pondering thoughts about its condition.

"Judging from the looks of those monsters, it seemed like they came from underground. Something must've happened and forced them to seek refuge in the surface and accidentally chose this spot as their new nest."

As expected of the Titania, her quick mind easily builds up several possibilities of every situation just by looking at concrete details. Added to that, her seamless skill of using Requip makes all the more of a powerful mage. Even until now, she still has that edge of her that makes her a solid candidate for the next successor of the guild.

"And the sheer number of them... It almost looked like the ones you seen in horror stories, right?" Lucy shuddered.

"Well, the more of them, the better, am I right?" Natsu answered confidently.

"Well, the request did say about exterminating them so we should just push through them and kill anything that moves." Gray crossed his arms.

"It seems so... Plus, we didn't get any additional information about the location of an underground passage where these monsters originate from. So far, we should just focus on eliminating all of them before focusing on that part." Erza suggested.

"Sounds like a good idea for me." Gray nodded in agreement.

"Yosh! Time to get some beating on these monsters!" Natsu immediately burst up in flames as he could feel his spirit powered up as ever when it comes to fighting.

"Remind you not to destroy the landscape, okay? The town also mustn't be destroyed. This is just a small mission so try not to lay waste of the place." Erza warned, looking at the two boys who had forgotten about how their magic can literally change a landscape into either a barren frozen land or a hellish landscape.

Since the request is merely a B-Class, there's no need of overdoing things a bit.

Despite all the growing confidence between them, Wendy had remained silent for awhile, seemingly lost in thought. She merely stared in open space without anyone noticing and it only made her snap out of her daze after noticing her friends jumping off to fight the monsters.

Since she's acting support for the whole team, she stood last in the group's formation, providing only enchantments to the rest of the team. She didn't have the stomach to fight despite her capability so she merely supported the team from behind as they get rid of the monsters around the small town.

She could see a wave of fire and ice blasting off the roofs alongside with the monsters as Natsu and Gray began competing for the number of kills they can count for their recently formed competition.

Even their shouts of insult can hear from the distance.

Wendy felt a cold sweat running down her head as she watched them in the distance.

"You're in the way, stripper!"

"This is my spot! Find yourself another place, dumbass!"

It seems like the two of them is enjoying this kind of work. Erza and Lucy did their work normally with their own respective magics as they slowly thin out the monsters' numbers.

...

Meanwhile, Natsu continued to punch monsters left and right, incinerating them with the use of his dragonslayer magic. The monsters didn't put up much of a fight but their numbers are starting to get to him.

Just where all these monsters are coming from?

More monsters appeared right in front of him as soon as he managed to eliminate those behind him.

"Ah, come on!" He groaned.

Blazing one of his fists on fire, he swung his arm forward as a massive swirl of flames engulfed the entire horde, leaving nothing but ashes and smoking trails from the aftermath of destruction. However, his eyes narrowed once again as he saw more monsters emerging from the ground at the far distance.

Thanks to his heightened senses, he was able to zoom in and eventually spotted a hole where they recently emerged at.

It looks to be the tunnel that leads all the way to the underground where they usually came from, prompting him to realize it.

"Hey! I found their entrance!" He shouted back to the group who also finished eliminating all the monsters around the town.

The three ran towards him as he pointed to the direction where the monsters are continually spawning from underground.

"Looks like you can use your brain after all." Gray mocked.

"Shut up, stripper! I killed more monsters than you just so you know."

"Hah! I counted way more kills than you!"

"Yeah?! Or you didn't just count just to feel better yourself!"

"Look who's talking! Even counting makes it difficult for you, idiot!"

"You wanna go, huh?!"

Ah, here they go again.

In the midst of the fight, Erza seemed to be pondering for some reason as her expression suddenly changed grim as if finding some off with their current situation. Wendy noticed this which prompted her to ask as Lucy was left with the two bickering each other off the background.

"Is something wrong, Erza-san?"

"Iyaa... It's just that I recognized some of these monsters and they're co-habiting together despite them living in different places underground."

"What do you mean?"

"You see, some monsters live underground through cold areas while some live by in near places where magma is close to them. Some of these monsters we fought have lived on both but I'm confused to what forced them to come up to the surface altogether." She thought out loud which brought her to thinking as well.

"Could it be some kind of a natural occurrence? Like an earthquake or some sort?"

"Not really... But it could be a possibility of a cave in on both areas that forced them up together and made this town their new home. Since the surface holds both day and night with having the correct temperatures to live in by, the monsters are able to coexist with each other."

"So what is the problem?"

"The problem is what forced them to go up here..."

Wendy soon got the gist of what she's talking about. Aside from the sudden appearance of these monsters, no one had the idea of what made them crawl up to the surface. It's like one of those mysterious cases when a certain mission had to be investigated in order to find out what made these unnatural occurrences appear so suddenly.

Since the request only requested an extermination, there's not even a single opportunity to investigate the source of the problem which is the sudden appearance of these monsters from underground.

She only looked back at the redhead once again, seeing her expression which would coordinate their next move.

"We're going underground... We need to find what's making these monsters go up." As she said that, the other three finally stopped and looked at her in disbelief.

"E-Eh?! You want to go down there?" Lucy asked, seemingly terrified for some reason.

"Well, these monsters are not gonna thin themselves out unless we find the reason down there."

"We could just, you know... Burn the whole passage and destroy whatever's down there." Natsu suggested. As expected of someone who prefers brawns over brains.

"That would be risky since the tunnel might collapse along the town standing on top of it. We can't just destroy this place until we find something." Erza answered with a reason which only puts them all in realization.

"Alright, then what's the plan?" Gray asked.

"We'll go down to investigate. If anything else happens, we should be able to deal with it ourselves." She smiled in response.

"Yosh, let's get going then!"

...

It didn't take long as the group ventured through the tunnel after clearing out the monsters which are coming from below. The tunnel is pretty short so the group had to walk in individually with Natsu leading the way since he was their lighting source after entering this seemingly dark tunnel.

The light from the outside barely penetrated the bottom and the stench of rotting carcasses of monsters dying was slowly incinerated by the trail of flames left behind by the pinkette after clearing the tunnel out.

"It's so quiet in here... I can't hear a single monster close by." Lucy began speaking.

"No, I can hear 'em everywhere but it doesn't seem like they're attacking us," Natsu added with a face full of caution all of a sudden.

"Yeah... For some reason, they're just waiting as if something's preventing them." Wendy replied, having the same heightened senses due to her nature as a dragonslayer.

"Well, whatever it is, we better prepare ourselves." Gray finished as the whole group felt something wrong about the place.

They can't help but feel anxious. As if something's waiting further down there.

Soon afterward, they arrived in a seemingly large cavern as the group stared wide-eyed at the huge space surrounding them. The light from Natsu's flame revealed the ceiling of the dark chamber but they saw nothing else. Located in front of the chamber was a huge abyss in which the light cannot penetrate through as the darkness occupied the very bottom.

Judging from how it looks like, it somehow related to where the monsters are coming from.

"Woah... It looks to be high from up here. Where do you think this leads into?" Gray looked in curiosity as the group began examining the massive hole.

"Probably to where the nests are. The monsters have probably burrowed through the tunnel towards the surface and happen to be located in the village." Natsu guessed.

"I think so too..." Lucy somehow agreed.

On the other hand, Erza walked herself around and tried finding some clues as she inspected the ground at the near edge separating her and the hole. Because of the lighting being far away from her, she took out a small torch on her own and lit up the area around her.

The vision improved but her eyes narrowed immediately after finding something.

Some of the ground was found to be scratched by something, seemingly in a large scale. The size doesn't even compare to a big sword scratching the ground as well which means this has to be done by something even larger.

―Then, her thoughts went cold.

A disturbing sound echoed from the bottomless abyss right in front of her as she looked down towards it. Even the rest of the gang seemed to have heard it as well as they both looked at each other with unsettled looks.

"O-Oi... Just now, what was that?" Gray looked ahead to the rest of the team which then Erza began seeing multiple red orbs glowing down from the bottom pit.

At that moment, the scarlet knight felt the killing intent as she shouted across to warn the group.

"EVERYONE! MOVE AWAY!"

Seeing how they're close to the pit, she realized that they were sitting right in the middle of a bigger nest.

At that moment, a sudden blur launched its way up from the dark hole as the group looked in disbelief at the appearance of another monster glaring right down on them with multiple red eyes. Its body closely resembled that of a spider, only to be it being larger and dark as night. Several large limbs have struck down at the edge of the hole using it to support its weight and two giant fangs contained with venom bore down from its mouth, ready to snatch its prey with bloodlust.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! What kind of monster is that?!" Lucy looked terrified of its large form.

"I don't care what it is but I'm all getting fired up!" Natsu proceeded to attack it recklessly as he leaped through the air to punch it―

"Stop!"

Erza wanted to shout but it was too late before she could even tell the group as the giant monster swung around its giant body with such speed, slamming the pinkette back as he crashed into a wall.

"What the?!"

Gray and Lucy looked in dismay after noticing its speed of retaliation against the pinkette who was thought to be able to anticipate any counterattack towards him at the last second. Moreover, the size of the monster's body could've weighed a lot and swinging that fast is enough to send a great deal of pain even with someone with high endurance.

"Just what the hell is this monster?!"

"It's a Burrowing BroodMother! An SSS Class monster! We have to regroup back at the surface! Get Natsu out of there and make your way to the tunnel, hurry!"

The scarlet knight quickly ran around as she threw several blades to catch the monster's attention. The monster easily deflected the sword due to its hard skin as it turned towards her, seemingly bursting with hunger. At the same time, Natsu emerged from the crash just as the three were about to regroup at him.

"That stings..." The pinkette knuckled his head just after receiving a blow. Even with that kind of attack, he still manages to stand almost unscathed.

Wendy worried about him for a moment but it quickly dissolved as soon as he stood seemingly fine after that crash.

"Done with your little exercise? Then let's get the hell out of here. That thing has an advantage in this type of terrain so we should head back to the surface." Gray spoke.

"No way! That thing made a big deal on me! I ain't coming back without returning it a favor."

"Listen here. That thing is an SSS monster. Fighting it here would be more dangerous than it is!"

"Hey, don't tell me you're scared of that thing. If fighting it here would be that hard, then I'll just punch a hole to push it up to the surface."

Without even taking a single response from him, Natsu already jumped in back to fight, leaving the others in disbelief.

"That idiot!"

Natsu quickly made his way down due to the monster focusing on its attack on Erza. He grabbed by near the walls as he blazed his right fist in flames lighting up the darkness around him. A surge of power welled up in the atmosphere as Erza looked down to see him using his spell. His eyes locked on the monster's belly as he proceeded to swing it forward before shouting.

 **"** **Fire Dragon King's Demolition Fist!"**

Using one of his strongest spells, the fist slammed right into the monster belly, greatly sending it crashing to the ceiling with enough force to be thrown ferociously upward and destroy the ground beneath it. A huge impact occurred followed by a massive shockwave as the group braced themselves looking at the monster engulfed in the might of the dragon's flames.

Around that time, the ground had collapsed as the monster was pushed up to the surface, creating a huge hole as the light from the surface shone down beneath them with rock debris falling from the edges.

The group stared wide-eyed as they looked at the sky then back at the pinkette who had a smug grin all over his face.

However, they didn't notice the ground located above them happens to be the town itself and looking at how massive the hole was created, it looks like the whole town was obliterated from underneath.

"Heh, how's that for a size?"

The others planted their faces with their hands as they looked at the pinkette in disappointment. It is interesting to note that Lucy had a lifeless look on her face, seeing how the compensation would turn out after this whole ordeal.

"Aaaaaah, Master's not gonna like this."

A huge sound of crash resounded from the above as the group makes way to the surface only to the find the monster having a huge hole in its huge body to where Natsu had punched his fist right into.

"Some SSS Class monster... I thought it would be more challenging but it looks like it's not that good." Natsu felt unsatisfied but the rest could only look at him in blank looks as they stared right back to the hole where the town was supposed to be.

It doesn't seem like they're gonna weasel their way out of this since this is getting to one of the complaints that'll be sent to the guild later on.

The other four sighed in depression, seeing how their simple job turned out to be a huge waste of money. Natsu laughed proudly in the distance but it seemed like he doesn't even care about the consequences.

...

The day ended smoothly for the rest of the team. With Erza explaining the existence of the monster, the townspeople pardoned them for the loss of their home. It isn't exactly a good result but they were content nonetheless. The reward is still given despite the group's persistence to deny it.

It doesn't really feel right when you're responsible for destroying their homes no matter how much reward you can get.

In the end, they merely started settling on a much safer place and thanked them as they return back to Fairy Tail.

The group had already walked their way back as they eventually reached back in town just as in time before sundown. The reward was shared as usual per member and the group is just about to finish things up midway.

"I'll head back to the guild to confirm the request's success with Mira. You four can go on your own, alright?" Erza walked ahead, carrying the paper in her hand as she soon left the other three to wander on their own.

"Well, it looks like we'll part from here. This is my direction so I'll see you tomorrow." It didn't take long as Gray eventually parted halfway as well, having to divert his path from the main street, leaving the three to walk together as the sun slowly sets off from the horizon.

Now with only Lucy, Wendy and Natsu comprising the remaining group, they trudged along the street as they make way back to their homes. Since Natsu and Wendy had the same route, Lucy would probably part from them soon.

"Iyaaaaaaaa... I'm really glad we didn't have to pay for the damages. But it seems like the townspeople were kinda expecting the possibility of abandoning their town since it was infested long enough."

"Well, I kinda feel bad for taking the reward. Even if we did everything, I still think we should compensate for it." Wendy spoke otherwise.

"But they insisted on it so we don't pretty much have any choice but to accept it."

"You're right."

"Oh, I almost forgot! We're going for a solo job tomorrow. Don't forget to bring Happy, alright Natsu?" Lucy then turned towards the pinkette who snapped into attention as soon as he heard his name from her.

"Oh, about that..."

"Come on! It's been awhile since we went on a job together! Maybe this time, we might find Aquarius if we're lucky, right?" Lucy beamed but Natsu felt shaken to answer as he stole a glance to the bluenette whom he made a promise to go out with her on a job tomorrow.

Wendy saw through his troubles and decided to smile in return, assuring that it's fine even without the job with her.

It's not like they had anything planned for it and Wendy thought it would be preferable to let the two of them go together.

"That's great! You shouldn't keep her waiting, Natsu-san."

"A-Ah... S-Sure, I guess..."

"Great! It's been awhile since we went on a job together." Lucy smiled wholeheartedly as they walked down the road.

Wendy looked between them in thought but mainly to the pinkette who had a worried look on his face as soon as stared back at her.

She tried to keep it all to herself but it was too late when Lucy noticed it, having to her point of view capture her expression as she asked her.

"Are you okay, Wendy?!"

Not wanting to let it show, Wendy, suppressed her hidden feelings as she forced up a smile in reassurance towards her alongside with the pinkette.

Around that same time, she quickly retracted the paper she was secretly holding from one of her hands and hid it back from her bag which was supposed to be a job request she took awhile ago together with the pinkette.

"I-It's nothing wrong. Don't worry about me. I just hope you find Aquarius' key soon. I know how she means to you so..."

"Thank you, Wendy. I promise I'll find her and we can all go on a job together!"

The rest went on as Lucy eventually parted from them as she waved from the far distance where her apartment was located at. Natsu and Wendy had to venture a little bit further down the road, leading to another road to Fairy Hills just a couple of meters ahead of them. Since Natsu's home is located on the outskirts, he's the furthest to walk by in the group after arriving from the station.

The sun painted the sky in auburn color and the skies above displayed numerous obnoxious clouds that hovered long over the horizon and a multitude of shadows reflected from tall structures as they face away from the glowing orb whilst greeting the creeping darkness that's appearing from the other side.

Natsu and Wendy are finally left alone as neither had anything to say to each other. The former felt uncomfortable of the silence and eventually stole a gaze from the bluenette who had her face somewhat staring into open space as if having a complicated expression.

This also prompted him to speak towards her.

"Wendy. A-About the job tomorrow, I―"

"It's okay, Natsu-san... You made a promise to her to find Aquarius so I think it would be good if you kept that promise..." She paused.

"...but if only...

Seeing how they're the only ones around, she tried voicing out her honest thoughts about him but she realized that she didn't want him to be bothered with her own problems so she quickly reverted her words back as if dismissing the entire subject.

"...It's nothing."

At that moment, Natsu noticed something wrong as he recognizes that kind of face entirely. He knew that face all too well. He tried to talk to her but was cut off when she suddenly turned her gaze on him with a beaming smile.

"More importantly, you were cool defeating that monster, you know. Even Erza had a hard time dealing with it from what I tell."

Normally, he would've bragged about it proudly to himself, showing how he usually shows off when others praise him for that kind of feat but―

―For some reason, he didn't feel right celebrating. Not when he saw that earlier expression she had on her face as if she was hiding something from him.

He tried to help but no words came out, leaving only a stuttered response.

"I-I guess so..."

Silence assailed in the air once again but it wasn't till long as Wendy had found the separate road leading back to her dorm.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Natsu-san!" She skipped ahead, twirling her body gracefully as she left him with a smile which he couldn't help but worry on the inside.

He still didn't find out what's bothering her and why she's trying so hard to keep it from him―to everyone else, replacing it with that bitter smile.

With nothing else to say, she started walking away from him until―

"Wendy! Do you want to come along with me tomorrow?" He raised his voice as he called out in the distance. The young woman stopped, seemingly heard his voice which prompted her to glance back as he spoke.

"I'll be waiting for you tomorrow, okay?!"

Instead of replying, what he saw was only but a sad smile before turning her back again and disappeared from the distance.

Natsu couldn't say it made him feel any better by just forcibly inviting her. Rather, it only an impulse to just make her avoid making that hurtful smile. And it seemed like it didn't go well.

In the next morning, she didn't arrive...

* * *

 **A/N: And here you have it. Not my best take on all the themes I wrote on for the week, to be honest. I did try to make it fit on their characterization while not being fairly similar to a conflict-kind of thing.**

 **Anyways, did you like this theme? Share your thoughts with me on reviews or in PMs if you want to talk about it. Next theme would be Confession which would come eventually as how both of them will realize what they're feeling. I wanted to bend the rules a bit by replacing the original theme into a Realization since both of them will realize that they love each other or something like that but anyways...**

 **And also, I kinda wanted to use Lucy to be some sort of an icebreaker through the next theme as well. Not bashing if that's what you're thinking. There's a difference between using and bashing characters.**

 **I'll see you guys again in the next theme.**

 **\- The wiErDos send their regards...**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Heya guys. wiErD here and I have the next theme for y'all!**

 **As promised in the last chapter, this theme will be named Confession as per Day 3 of the NaWen Week. I know it's late but as long as I can deliver it in appreciation of this ship then that's all that matters.**

 **I'll try to finish on time with the next NaWen Week if the community decided on it again next year.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or any of its elements. All belong to its respective owner. Support the official release.**

* * *

 **\- Confession -**

Natsu busted through the doors of the guild as he made his way to the bar counter. A couple of heads turned towards him at the sudden outburst but they dismissed it as a usual routine they would hear from him when the next brawl breaks out. In addition, the ice mage hasn't arrived yet so they can anticipate once he comes to the guild.

What they didn't notice though is that the pinkette had a rather anxious look on his face as he stomped his way onto the bar counter where Mirajane was currently at, doing her chores as the head waitress.

Around the same time, her eyes caught him coming into view which prompted her to smile sweetly in response as a sign of greeting to a fellow guild member.

"Oh hi, Natsu. I thought you were leaving shortly with Lucy and Happy."

It was at that moment when she also saw the look on his face as Natsu proceeded to ignore her greeting and asked a rather strange question towards her.

"Mira! Have you seen Wendy?! Is she still in the dorm?!"

The frantic expression he was making surprised at her at the very least but the fact that he was asking for the bluenette young woman also made her shocked as well. Combined with the unusual worried look, it made her difficult to find out what's happened between them that made him this agitated.

For the record, Natsu was never the person who make this expression unless it's something that threatens his friends.

Wendy couldn't be in danger now, is it?

The young woman is strong in terms of capability and power amongst the ranks of their guild so the possibility of her being danger doesn't seem probable in this kind of situation.

Turning back to her own thoughts, the white-haired barmaid could only stutter at his outburst.

"U-Uh, why you ask, Natsu?"

"Just answer me, Mira. Did she come here by any chance?"

Now, this is quite unexpected. She tried smoothing things a bit by prolonging their conversation but the way he brushed away her question for the second time seemed like it was a rather serious situation. At the same time, her beaming expression changed as well after understanding the desperate look on his face.

It was her first time seeing his tone of voice this demanding.

Just what happened between them?

"Y-Yeah. She came early at dawn and took a job with Carla just before you arrived." Her answer somehow made him slightly calm down but the majority of his expression remained worried for the bluenette.

"What kind of job she took?!"

"Umm... it was an A-Class job. About two weeks for completion if one person took it. If counted with Carla not being a mage like her then it wouldn't take that much longer, it seems."

After revealing the next answer, his face finally loosened. At the same time, the other guild members who heard him from their tables happen to glance at the scene in curiosity.

However, the news didn't relieve him of any signs of relief. Instead, the pinkette suddenly mustered a downhearted expression after hearing all those things from her. Mira thought this was also the first time she saw him this much dispirited at something.

Natsu, an ever-going person with the heart of gold who always smiles wholeheartedly along with his comrades even in the face of difficult situations had made such a miserable look.

The problem of him turning like this probably had something to do with the blue-haired woman.

His fists, which were balled tight from his frantic bursts loosened as well as his shoulders slumped in the process. A saddened look replaced his warm smile and his presence looked dim for the first time.

She wanted to try asking until the voices of his friends called him from the door, probably chasing him down all the way back after sprinting through here in the guild.

"Natsu! What are you doing running off like that?!"

"Natsu! We're going to be late for the job! Let's get going!"

The voices of his two best friends rang into his ears as they approach him. However, it seemed like he didn't budge from it either. It didn't take long as Natsu eventually moved as if he managed to get out from what it looks like to be a paralytic state after standing still for too long.

Mira worried for a moment as he made a bitter smile towards her just before the two could see through his real expression.

"Sorry about that, Mira... And, thank you for informing me."

Lucy and Happy walked next to him, giving light scolding remarks for running off without telling. At that moment, the trio soon left with Natsu's back reflecting off from her eyes as Mira observed him from a distance before disappearing from the guild doors.

Noticing all that, she couldn't help but feel concerned about what happened, especially with the pinkette who was looking like that after that one last glance from her.

It doesn't feel like the problem was resolved. And more importantly, what was the problem involving with Wendy that made him depressed all of a sudden?

She tried thinking possible instances about a fight breaking out between them but it wouldn't likely happen due to their personalities being different in a way that wouldn't conflict to their relationship as fellow teammates.

Plus, Wendy isn't the type of hold a grudge at someone.

Because of that, she couldn't help but feel uneasy as well, almost making her forget her chores as the calls from other guild mates inside returned her back to reality.

"So what's going on with him? It seems like he was in a hurry or something?" A familiar voice caught her attention as her eyes traced towards to a short-white haired girl who happens to be her little sister.

"Lisanna."

"The way he talked like that seemed like he had a problem with something? I wonder what it is that made him this panicked." She voiced her concern towards the dragonslayer as she was one of the people who noticed his earlier outburst from the bar counter.

She can't say she couldn't help but the way he looked at her older sister sounded like he was out of reach at the moment. Lucy and Happy might be able to help but it probably wouldn't give that much peace despite their attempt to reassure him once they notice it.

"I think it must've something to do with Wendy."

"Wendy?"

"Hnn..." She nodded. "...For some reason, he was looking for her but she was not here and that made him depressed."

"Hmm... Maybe they promised to meet together with Lucy and Happy but took a different job instead without telling them beforehand. You know how he likes having his friends together on a job with him. It's somewhere between that line, don't you think?" Lisanna guessed.

"I guess you're right." Mira agreed to that proposal but somewhere in her mind tells her that it was more than that.

The way he showed concern for her whereabouts is not something normal despite with that kind of scenario happening. Natsu can easily accept when someone on their team isn't coming to them at a later time. If anything, he would mostly be fine tagging Lucy and Happy since the three of them had a close relationship with each other from the rest of the team.

Not saying the others are not but there appears to be some kind of special relationship between them because they were the ones who formed the team a couple of years back.

In any case, Mira could only ponder in silence as she tried looking for more answers that could've sparked this kind of problem between her friends.

* * *

 **...**

* * *

The dense forest packs a lot of obstacles to venture through since the path succumbed to the wonders of nature, making a part of it itself. Wendy and Carla had walked around the thick lush trees, carefully marking their steps without landing on something dangerous due to some parts that can injure a person without caution. The latter, however, had her wings unfurled to skip the walk as she followed the young woman who had been silent ever since asking her out on a small job.

Of course, the job isn't exactly that hard but the time of completion usually takes about a couple of days with some procedures needed to be done. Not all jobs require punching through some monsters and be done with it.

It had been two hours ever since they got out of the train and decided to walk towards the forest where rumors of a rare flower were sighted. The job requested extraction of this rare species of flower to be used as a cure but as easy as it sounds, finding one in this kind of environment usually takes a lot of time due to the abundance of flora surrounding them.

Wendy's heightened sense could've made the job easier if not for the same reason as the last one. Tracking the scent of something that is never discovered before would prove to be a hard task even for a seasoned mage. Couple with her partner's ability to fly which could be used to flying towards certain areas around the forest, it's a perfect combination for the job.

"The flower should be around here in these parts but I don't know if we can find it that easily though." Carla started speaking, wanting to cut off the silence as well though she was surprised that she didn't even reply right away.

Wendy continued on her way through the thick bushes, carrying her huge baggage which was only an exception for this job since they'll be taking a temporary night off in a couple of days in this forest if chances of finding one didn't go well on the first day.

Right now, their objective to make a suitable place to set up camp where they can sleep without having to worry about any danger that may be brought onto them.

Even with the forest shielding them from the harmful rays of the sun, some of the inhabitants aren't exactly friendly to humans either.

After a few minutes of searching, they eventually found a small space where trees do not grow spontaneously. A large pond is seated right next to them, making it a perfect spot for providing some food and shelter for the next few days.

"Hnn... This is the spot. We can use it to set up camp here. We can search for later after we're done preparing our tent." Wendy finally spoke as she sets down the large bag and began taking out a folded portable tent and began setting it.

"Sure..."

Carla was concerned about her unusual behavior and wanted to ask her about it but she set it aside for now as she helped out with the setting. A huge white tent was erected after adjusting it near the lake while a few things were brought out to use for making food such as a pan and other necessities. Wendy had taken some small twigs from broken trees as preparation for a small fire which they can use during nightfall. She also built a portable stand near the fire where they can place the pot for heating up water as well.

Since the pond is abundant with fish, they can fish out for some as their source of food for the night.

If Happy were to be here, he would've been overjoyed for setting camp in this small paradise.

The setup took about a couple of hours as the day progressed in the afternoon. Around that time, the two had begun searching for the rare flower since there's still time before nightfall.

Of course, finding something as rare doesn't come as easy as finding it the first day so the duo gave up for now after having no luck of locating one and returned back to the camp just in time as the sun began to set on the horizon. Since the trees block most of their view from all directions, it's impossible to see through where the sun had disappeared into as darkness took over Earthland.

The skies were cleared away from its brilliance of light blue color and painted white clouds. Instead, a seemingly endless stream of twinkling stars took stage as its source of light along with the white moon that shines down to the dark world. No clouds obscure the sight before them as the sky remained clear throughout the night.

Wendy and Carla had already prepared for the fire as the latter tended on mixing their dinner. The former, on the other hand, sat closely by the fire as her eyes stared right through it, looking for her thoughts have trailed off somewhere.

Her feet were slightly bent as her hands wrapped around her knees as if curling herself while spending the rest of her time looking at the small fire in front of her.

It was then, the white Exceed decided to talk about it.

"Something in your mind again, Wendy?"

Said person perked up into attention as she looked away from the small flame.

"Carla... It's nothing." Her voice raised upon the call of her friend's name but her tone gradually lowered down as she gazed to the side, seemingly to avoid her direct gaze.

"I know something's wrong so why don't you tell me about it? It would be problematic if you keep it to yourself without consulting help from me, you know." She remarked, hoping to offer some advice as well.

"It's not that I needed consulting... It's just that... I need some time." She meekly replied. Her voice hung low in the air against the sparks that came from the burning wood near the fire, making it seem like she wanted to conceal it but Carla heard it loud and clear.

"It's been that way for too long... don't you think?" She lightly smiled, seeing how she was aware of it ever since.

"..."

Wendy couldn't offer to offer a reply so she merely drowned herself in silence. Carla watched her as they waited for their food to finish.

She pretty much knew what she's feeling right now. It's not that she wanted to force her to it since she doesn't want to be honest with it. That's why she's been bottling that growing feeling from others even to her although she immediately found out soon after.

Wendy is just too indecisive for her feelings. Whether it be from someone she once looked up to, she would always hesitate to act on it, fearing that it would ruin her relationship with that person. Or that she might fear of affecting others as well. Her selfless actions towards others are amazing but giving them too much without caring for herself makes it difficult for her, including the feelings she had with that person.

The child just needs to be more honest with herself. Even at a time when she was still mostly dependent on her, she lacks the ability to speak for herself and would always be washed along the flow of others' opinions. Like a small rock being pushed along a powerful stream. Unlike the rest of her friends, she's still finding a way to stand for herself. Even until now, the way she acts is the same as before in which it took upon herself to bring up the topic again in order to consult her.

The white Exceed sighed deeply as she stared at her partner.

"Wendy. Why don't you confess your feelings to him?"

A statement that made her widen her eyes in response. Her expression changed completely from gloomy to an utterly shocked look on her face. A light blush appeared on her cheeks as she felt flustered towards her question.

"C-Confess?!"

"That's right. You can't just keep those feelings locked forever. It'll just hurt you more if you wait any longer."

"B-But that's... too sudden! I can't just c-c-confess to him that easily! It's embarrassing!" She stubbornly denied.

"What's wrong with being embarrassed? It's not like you're gonna confess in front of the guild, you know." Carla said as a matter of fact. Her tone adding a slight air of humor.

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" She peevishly shouted.

Carla could count just how many times she teased her like this just to see that embarrassed look. It's like she was born to be treated like this in a cute way. Nevertheless, she was relieved to see her being back to her usual self after putting up with all that gloomy face during their trip.

It doesn't suit to her sweet and caring self.

"Wendy. There are times where things wouldn't come as a second chance. If you feel that way towards him then you should make use of that opportunity to say it to him. I don't want you to regret your actions once it's too late, you know." She frowned, looking at her in concern which caused her bluenette to stop in her words as she thought about what she said to her.

"R-Regret...?"

"Failing to make that chance is much more painful than not having one, Wendy."

"I..."

She tried to speak but was soon cut off as the white Exceed hugged her comfortably. She felt her warm fur slowly easing her throbbing pain that was inside her heart ever since that day. She was able to push all her troubles as she stared wide-eyed towards her Exceed.

"It's never too late for you to make that chance. I'll say this again for you; be more courageous. Don't be afraid of everything that would make you back down just because it would affect you and those around you. Don't think the other way around, think what would happen to you and that person if he answers to your feelings. Do not hesitate to let it all out. Do not hold yourself in contempt. I want you to be happy Wendy. Don't hurt yourself just for the sake of others' happiness. Find your own happiness, Wendy."

Her words touched her greatly as Wendy felt tears forming from her eyes.

It's been like this for the two of them.

Carla would always encourage her every time she would feel down. She would always comfort her when she cries. And she would always be there for her when she was alone by herself.

The white Exceed heard her sob but she didn't care. As long as she can wash away the sorrows in her heart, she was fine to be with her.

It looks like she finally realized it.

After a few moments, the two eventually broke away as Wendy wiped the rest of her tears and finally able to smile genuinely for the first time in days.

"Thank you, Carla."

"Hnn..." She nodded.

Looking at that renewed gaze, she knew what she's going to do. She smiled underneath her breath, praying for her as they spent their time together in the cold night.

* * *

 **...**

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere in the far reaches of another forest, Natsu and the rest of the group camped out due to having a slight problem with the trip. Since night had caught up, they were forced to set up camp as well from a nearby forest to spend the night.

Lucy and Happy already noticed the crestfallen look on the dragonslayer's face ever since they stopped for the night.

The pinkette never bothered to speak to any of the two as if they were never there. This is the first time they saw him like this.

His confident personality, his unabashed disposition. It's not all there. It's like he was looking like the spitting image of his Edolas counterpart if only he had a deeper mopey look.

What made the pinkette this depressed is a mystery for them.

Even back at Magnolia when he suddenly sprinted off without saying anything only to be found at the bar counter, gives a huge fit of confusion inside their minds while also trying to find out what's bothering him.

A fire was set around them as Natsu sat alone across the other two who were stealing glances at him despite him looking intently at the flames.

The two even whispered quietly to each other, discussing the pinkette's condition right now. It doesn't seem like he was pumped up to take the job despite him planning it with them a few days back.

...

―Then, the person they longed to speak finally opened his mouth for the first time ever since leaving town.

"Hey Luce, what can you do to uhhh―relieve the pain?"

The two heard him speak but they were greatly confused at the choice of words he just said so they tilt their heads in confusion.

"Uhh, I'm sorry what? I think I lost you there, Natsu." Lucy replied, having not fully understood his question but the pinkette continued on nonetheless as he stared openly at the fire in front of him as if trailing off in thought.

"It's just that... I've been feeling a lot of pain lately. Even though I'm perfectly fine, I don't know what is..."

A moment of silence assailed between them as Lucy paused to speak for a moment, wanting to inquire more of what he's talking about. Happy seemed to be interested as well despite the atmosphere as the blonde haired mage tries to reply.

"Can you... tell me more about this pain you're talking about?"

Her question caught him slightly off guard but then decided to retain his composure as he looked down on his chest, unknowingly aware as he placed a hand on it.

"My chest feels weird for some reason... I can't explain it but somehow, I can feel pain from it even if I don't notice it."

At that moment, Lucy widened her eyes in surprise. No―it was more than just a surprise. She easily noticed something wrong with him but to think that he would be able to come to this kind of development is what made her surprised. Even the blue Exceed seemed to be shocked as well but both of them tried to hide their surprise yet as Lucy tried to ask more concerning about it.

"When did you feel it first? I mean, when did it start for you?"

Another short pause followed but Natsu slowly tried to recall everything that happened back then.

"When I walked with her yesterday... When I saw her making that forced smile, everything felt wrong for me."

Another piece of information baffled the two yet again. At that moment, Lucy recollected her memories about the things that transpired yesterday, hoping to dig some more clues about his problem.

At the same time, her cause for concern for him finally lessened which then was replaced with a growing smile as if to the point of merely teasing him, seeing how she was able to connect the dots altogether on her own.

It also kinda explains his unusual ruckus back at the guild.

"Aaaaand... Where did it grow?"

"When I found out that she's not in the guild..." He silently muttered, his face partly buried under his scaly scarf as he tried to cope with this difficult pain.

Lucy thought it could've been a complicated problem but it looks she already knew what's troubling him. Happy, who happened to cast a gaze towards her for the same reason, smiled in relief.

Thinking that he would finally realize as something as valuable in his life, they could only snicker silently to each other as they both turned to look back at the saddened pinkette who was unaware of their teasing.

"Ne, Natsu... Do you know what it means to love?" Lucy began, catching his attention as he etched that word inside his mind for the first time.

"Love?"

"Yeah, when you like something or rather―someone so much that you held them special to you no matters what."

"Like food?"

Looks like it's going to be hard to make him realize it.

"Weeeeeeell, something like that..." She partly regained her composure. Her forehead dripping with cold sweat after hearing his oblivious response.

"...But it's more than that. Let's take your scarf for example. What does that scarf mean to you?" She asked as if giving a short lesson to a kid. Natsu perked into attention as he slightly stuttered from her statement.

"My scarf? Well, it's from Igneel and it's very precious to me."

"Alright, then how about Igneel? What does he mean to you?"

"He's my dad. He's someone I hold dear the most because he taught me everything ever since taking me in."

"Good. Then how about Wendy? What does she mean to you?"

"W-Wendy? Well, I..."

He couldn't say it. For some reason, he finds it hard to explain it himself as he stutters in his words. At the same time, the thought of having nothing to say about her struck him immediately by which Lucy had caught on and merely smiled as she continued speaking.

"Natsu, what you're feeling right now is love. The thought of not being able to say much about her means you're unsure of your feelings. You feel conflicted because you couldn't see through the true feelings inside your heart."

"I don't know what you―"

"Tell me, honestly. When was the last time you felt really happy?"

Lucy knew he wouldn't understand it bit by bit if he answered generally in thought of his friends that's why she made it specifically simple to ask him directly and specifically that would make him slowly understand. She knew he wouldn't get past his dense nature unless it's something that would trigger him down in this kind of development.

On the other hand, Natsu contemplated those words inside his mind.

The things that he was extremely happy about.

The times he would have the best laugh with someone.

The memories of him wanting to treasure that person more than anyone else.

The person he wanted to protect and care for with all his heart.

 _'_ _Wendy.'_

A slow moment of realization dawned on him as he unconsciously opened his lips.

"...with her."

"What?"

"When I'm with her."

"I don't hear you." Lucy raised her voice.

"When I'm with her!" This time, Natsu also raised his voice. His thoughts clear with realization.

"Then say it loud and clear!"

 _"_ _I feel happy when I'm with her! Alright?!"_

Now it's getting annoying! Is she trying to make him mad or something?

Natsu glared at the blonde girl who immediately broke into a laugh after he shouted out those words. Even Happy seems to be riding the same boat which doesn't make him any better.

"Are you done?! Because if you're just joking around, it's not helping!" He retorted as he stood up in annoyance for looking like a fool.

Seriously, it's irritating.

While seeing him mad about it, Lucy eventually settled down as she wiped a tear from her eye as she looked at him carefully.

"Guhaha! I'm sorry! But, you finally realized it, right?"

"..."

There was no response but she took it as a sign of approval as the dragonslayer didn't offer any retorts despite accusing them of making fun of him.

"That's love, Natsu."

"Aye!"

"I know..." He sighed in resignation.

"So, what's the problem? Even with all that little lesson, you're still moping like before." Lucy asked in curiosity.

Natsu released another sigh.

"I did something that could've hurt her. I know I messed up but I just don't know what to do. I don't even know what to say to her to apologize." He explained as Lucy and Happy thought for a moment to come up a solution.

So that's why he was troubled.

"Well, why don't you try confessing to her?"

"Huh?"

"Confess. Like expressing what you felt about her." As if restating it again, Lucy boldly repeated the word which caught his attention.

"How's that gonna help me apologize?"

"Listen here you... I think you're misunderstanding something. Confessing your love is different from apologizing, blockhead. Moreover, why would you even apologize in the first place? Even if you think you made a mistake, you shouldn't take it to heart that easily. You said she was feeling down, right? Then her feelings to you are the same as you felt towards her."

"How could you possibly know that?"

"Because she wouldn't feel that way if it didn't. If you said that you were at fault and caused her to act like that then she felt unsure of her feelings towards you that she wanted to avoid you, don't you think?"

Natsu felt overwhelmed by her speech as he was left dumbfounded on the spot.

Sometimes, he wondered how she was able to understand situations quickly. Her sharp mind was enough to make him feel like he was being toyed despite all the things she did to make him realize his feelings. Not that it makes him feel any better though.

Still, he was glad to have this conversation.

He wouldn't able to realize it if it wasn't for her.

"Geez, I feel stupid for being helped like this..." He sheepishly replied, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment as he smiled towards them in gratitude.

"Well, you're already an idiot so it wouldn't be that surprising." Happy answered, earning him a tick mark.

"Why you―" Before he could even muster a retort, Lucy asked him again.

"So? What are you gonna do now?"

A confident smile occupied his face as he found what he's going to do from now on. Just like the times, he would usually find hope in a hopeless situation, the fire dragonslayer grinned widely as he stood up with his heart decided.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to tell her what I really felt about her."

* * *

 ** _A week later..._**

* * *

It was in the middle of noon.

The guild is as lively as ever and full of action. Guild members were talking around in their tables and seats, laughing all the way till they further drowned themselves in beer. The light atmosphere gave much of a soothing presence to the ones who wandered inside.

Natsu already departed from his home, having to wake up late with the intention of confessing to the young woman after his talk from last week. Since Happy had already gone out, he was the only resident left in the house. He didn't care about taking a job whatsoever. Taking a break would be a nice touch every once in awhile but the reason for this day off is something more important.

He wanted to say his feelings to her.

He wanted to let her know what he truly feels about her.

Those are the only thoughts he could think right now as he walked straight to the guild with a determined look. Since the road to Fairy Hills also takes to the same route as to their guild, he followed the street where he last walked with her.

This time, he wanted to make it clear for her to understand.

The moments he enjoyed when she's with him.

He will convey everything in his words.

―That he loves her.

...

He was making his way down, taking the time to look at the town's scenery as he smiles warmly towards the people who greeted him all the way. Everyone could've thought that something must've happened to him but Natsu didn't care.

It didn't take long as he sighted the guild as he took a momentary stop to stare at its structure. He could hear the rumbling noises coming from the inside which he probably thought a fight broke out somewhere within the members.

He turned his eyes away as he began continuing his way when he bumped into someone.

"Ah, sorry! I wasn't looking―" He quickly tried to apologize but his sentence was cut short as soon as his eyes caught to the person he bumped into.

"W-Wendy?!"

Said person also stared in shock as she also realized the person in front of her.

"N-Natsu-san!"

Both stuttered as their eyes stared right each other for a moment. Their faces flushed red after noticing the close contact they had between each other which prompted the two to break away in panic as they both regained their composure.

An awkward silence assailed soon after as the two can't help but avoid looking at each other's gazes as they stared into open space. Neither had the courage to speak first so the prolonging silence kept going on as the two felt overwhelmed by the unsettling atmosphere around them. It was then until Natsu tried breaking the atmosphere with a nervous response.

"H-Hey. Nice morning we have today, right?"

His voiced cracked due to the growing tension.

However, Wendy was also feeling nervous for some reason. Even after all that courage, she gained from Carla, meeting him here by chance is unexpected. Even saying it in front of him now becomes more difficult due to the awkwardness between them.

As a result, she lost her confidence, looking down at the side as she started walking right past him.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm in a hurry." Wanting to get out of the situation fast, she lied and tried making her way to the guild until―

"Wait!"

Before she could even move past him, Natsu had grabbed her arm just in time as she was held back with a gasp of surprise. The pinkette had stopped moving and slowly turned his face towards her with a serious look.

"I have... something to tell you, Wendy. Will you hear me out?"

The sincere tone of his voice caught her off guard as she loosened her body, effectively giving up running away. At the same time, she gave in from her lie as she felt her cheeks blush.

"I... too, have something to tell you, Natsu-san."

The pinkette widened his eyes for a moment before regaining composure as he began speaking first.

"Say, Wendy... Do you remember that time when I asked you if you like someone?"

The bluenette recalled the part in which she nodded in response.

"Well, to be honest, I only wanted to confirm something before I could do anything in the future..."

"...And after hearing it from you, I was relieved."

"Eh?" She looked up in shock.

"Because of that, I was overjoyed but I didn't realize that I was hurting you for ignoring you the whole time which I regretted the most."

"That was―" Wendy wanted to assure him but Natsu shook his head sideways as he continued. His expression changed as he recalled back in the last few days between them.

"That's why I couldn't help but blame myself for that. And I wanted to apologize to you as soon as I returned so..." He paused.

"...I also realized something. And I couldn't have done it without both of their help so that's why I decided."

They could feel both their hearts pounding as Natsu cleared his mind. His eyes stared right into hers as he let out those words.

"Wendy... I love you."

A wave of emotions went crashing down on her like a tidal wave. Wendy felt her heart bursting out from within due to the intense beating after hearing those words from him. She felt dumbstruck, overwhelmed in all kinds of mixed feelings. She couldn't muster anything as her cheeks flustered red, feeling a huge sensation of happiness creeping up to her as if coating her very being.

A part of her still couldn't comprehend behind his confession. That's why she was shocked in the process―completely speechless.

Natsu, on the other hand, remained composed though a part of him still felt embarrassed despite his straightforward response. He could see her face seemingly conflicted in all sorts of reactions, probably because of this sudden revelation but who can blame her.

You can't exactly react when someone confessed to you so suddenly when you were friends with each other a few days back and it's not like he was expecting an answer right away.

He rested his hands down on both her shoulders as he looked at her with a soft expression.

"Wendy, it's fine if you don't want an answer right now. I just wanted to tell you how I feel. Whether you accept it or not, I won't hold it against you. I don't want to regret my actions if I didn't tell you this that's why..."

This is the only thing he wanted to say to her after realizing these feelings.

He slowly placed his hand over her head as he expressed his happiness with a toothy grin

"...I'll be waiting."

Wendy felt the warmth behind that sincere smile. She recalled how many times she saw that from him. It was the same smile that lit up her darkest moments, the smile that gave her confidence and faith to herself and the smile she had fallen into.

She couldn't deny herself anymore.

* * *

 **-|Sukinanode by Sora Amamiya|-**

* * *

"Natsu-san."

He heard her speak as she took hold of both of their hands together, putting it right between them. Her delicate fingers intertwined with his as she muttered softly.

"There's something I've been wanting to tell you for a long time... Can you hear me out as well?"

He stared at her intently as he began to listen.

"...Do you remember when I told you that there's someone I looked up to?"

Natsu remembered it well from his memory as he nodded lightly in response.

"...He was everything I admired for. Every time, I always depended on him. Saving me countless time and I didn't know how many times he did make me feel what it means to be someone that can protect those he cared. He never hesitated to reach out for me when I'm in despair. His spirit would always give me hope no matter how things go bad."

She giggled, recalling such moments as she kept speaking.

"...He would always do everything to make me laugh when I'm down. He would always comfort me when I'm sad. Sometimes, I wonder just how much he means to me that without even knowing it, I completely fell for him."

She slowly lifted her face towards him, finally free of doubt as she uttered the words she wanted to convey to him.

"That person was you."

The pinkette widened her eyes in realization. What she said to him, they were true from her heart...

―She felt the same way towards him.

Natsu stammered, overwhelmed by her confession as well as he stood on the spot, unmoving. His face full of shock as Wendy showed her sincere feelings towards him.

As a result, he could not do but utter her name.

"W-Wendy..."

"I wanted to tell you sooner but I was scared. Scared that you won't feel the same―that you had someone else that's why I kept it from you. But the more I try to hide it, the more I couldn't stop loving you that's why―"

Tears poured out from her eyes as she spoke.

At that moment, Natsu suddenly embraced her. Wendy felt surprised at the hug but her thoughts stop when she heard him whisper.

"Thank you... Wendy. Thank you for loving me that's why I wouldn't make you wait any longer..."

He wouldn't make her wait anymore. Because this time...

"...Right now, the only person I wanted to spend the rest of my life is you."

Not making her say anything else, he accepted everything. All this time, she's been holding back of her feelings in doubt. She's been holding it back for his sake.

He wouldn't want that. This time, he made sure to return those feelings to her as she had given to him. Without living herself in regret, he embraced her tightly as he heard her sob beside him.

"M-Me too."

That's the only thing he wanted to hear.

At that moment, she wrapped her arms around him as well as she went to hug him in return. Both felt happy after hearing their feelings for each other.

Around the same time, the guild doors also busted open as the two who happened to be standing in front of it were startled to see the rest of their guild mates standing between their sweet atmosphere.

A couple of faces held smiles in their expressions as if they jumped in joy.

"Congratulations you two!"

"I'm happy for both of you!"

"So you've finally got it through, blockhead!"

"Finally! We've been expecting this!"

"Congratulations, Natsu-san, Wendy-san!"

The two looked in shock as they heard them expressing their gratitude as they stood unmoving at the number of people―specifically, their friends seeing their confession towards each other.

"You guys..." Natsu spoke, totally overwhelmed with surprise.

"Sorry, we've been waiting. We didn't mean to eavesdrop." Lucy winked.

"Gihi, I thought something was up but it looks like it went well, huh?" Gajeel smirked as Levy walked beside him with the same happy expression along with the others.

"Y-You've been listening!?" Wendy stuttered, her face looked redder than ever.

"Well, not entirely, we're just making it the right time to jump and beat the shit out of you for taking too long, Flame-brain." Gray mocked, earning a tick mark from the pinkette who then realized something other than their sudden appearance.

"Then, all that noise from earlier..." He recalled.

"Ah, that. We've been preparing to celebrate for your new relationship." A voice spoke as Erza walked in front of the crowd in which soon broke into two sections as they revealed the interior of the guild that's been rearranged with a lot of decorations, seemingly in preparation for the two.

At the same time, the two caught sight of their two Exceeds who flew right next to them with beaming smiles.

"Happy... and Carla." Both the two dragonslayers spoke the name of their Exceeds as they approached them.

"Congratulations!" The two simultaneously greeted as they both reunited with each other.

"We've been waiting as well. We knew you two have something for each other that's why we gathered everyone to help out." Carla was first to speak.

"Aye!"

"This is the least we can do for you two. To celebrate your new relationship for long lasting." Erza muttered softly as the rest of the group gathered behind her with the same feeling.

Natsu and Wendy couldn't help but feel surprised at the actions of their friends. They've been waiting for them to confess each other that they even prepared a party just for the celebration of their new relationship.

The two could only muster a gasp of surprise.

"Soooooo, when are we gonna see a kiss, huh?" Lucy teased which then caught the two off guard as they felt their faces rising up in temperature.

"Aaaaawww, they're still not gone past that!" Mira squealed.

"If you're a man, you gotta do it!" Elfman shouted fiercely as the group shot glances of teases at the two who felt embarrassed with the subject.

In addition, to think that Natsu would feel embarrassed as well is something you don't see every day.

Looks like they're gonna be teased throughout the day.

"Well then, let's celebrate for Natsu and Wendy!" At that time, Makarov who led the group raised his hand in the air as the guild partied for the two dragonslayers' new relationship.

It was one of their wonderful moments in their lives.

* * *

 **A/N: Shucks... This theme took longer than I hoped. Spanning over 5k words? Welp, I was intending to keep writing themes at 5k words at most but it looks like this whole confession thing had me writing a lot without even minding the number of words from the bottom section.**

 **Anyways, how'd you like the chapter? I wanted to convey a lot of emotions in this part since it revolves on the confession of both characters so yeah.**

 **I wouldn't want to hang around since it's already past the excess word count so I'll see you guys in the next theme/chapter which is First Date.**

 **Oh, the song is from Plastic Memories, specifically played to the scene where Isla confessed her feelings to Tsukasa. I did feel a bit sad when I played it but I hope it would work for the lighter side of things in this fic.**

 **\- The wiErDos send their regards...**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Heya guys! Back again for the next theme of this week.**

 **As announced from the last chapter, the theme for today is First Date so let's get this started right away.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or any of its elements. All belong to its respective owner. Support the official release.**

* * *

 **\- First Date -**

A few days had passed ever since the guild celebrated the two's new relationship. Wendy had been sleepless at some nights as she thought back at the time they both intended to confess their feelings for each other.

Who would've thought that both of them had thought the same way for each other that long?

Wendy didn't mind too much. Her thoughts were filled with joy after all that happened between them. The same goes for Natsu as well after finally realizing what he was feeling towards her.

Back then, the guild celebrated as they were greeted by other guild members inside, wishing them happiness. The way how they set the guild just for this small occasion sure is something by the way.

It's like the place is being intended to celebrate for people getting married, looking at the bouquet of roses plastered on the walls adorned with white banners and all sorts but it looks like the people misunderstood the situation since the two had just started going out. It's not like they're going to marry each other right off the bat.

Though the celebration part was more than appreciated.

Still, the whole guild misunderstood their relationship and Erza couldn't have been more embarrassed as she was the one who planned all of it despite Happy and Carla's warning not to get carried away.

Wendy thought it wouldn't be so bad to look forward something as that in the future though.

 _Ah, what am I thinking?_

* * *

 **...**

* * *

It was already on the seventh day of the week as the guild continued on its usual activities. Brawls break out here and there but none of the main players seem to be in a mood to start a ruckus in the middle of the day. Especially, if one of them had pursued in a relationship.

The halls were filled with noises and celebrations as members laughed their hearts out alongside with their friends. Some toasted with beer drinks and decided to waste themselves out till the end of the day.

Even with the whole celebration between the two had already gone past the date, people still hold many remembrances of that day.

As a result, the two couple had been the perfect target for teasing from other members, especially to Wendy as some of her friends kept talking about their new relationship even though they started anew with each other.

It's interesting to note that a certain barmaid had been blessed with juicy gossips throughout the event and who knows just how many things she has on other people's personal relationships.

Natsu stood near a cake shop as he waited for the bluenette to arrive.

Apparently, the two decided to have their first date since none of them had enough time for each other because of the constant shower of attention centered around them from their members back at the guild.

Natsu decided to think up a plan where he could spend time with her alone and this is what he came up with after seeking advice from Mira.

Telling it to Lucy or Erza would just prompt them to spy on them which would turn out pretty awkward he noticed them right away. So far, the barmaid understood his request and lied about the two going somewhere.

He might have to thank her later for that.

He stood firmly in patience, waiting as he glanced at the crowd, hoping to catch the bluenette woman on sight but to no avail.

After a few minutes, a voice resounded from the other direction in a sweet tone.

"Looking for someone?"

He smiled as he turned back, recognizing that voice all too well.

"Well, I don't mind waiting for―WOaaaaaah!" His statement was cut short as soon he saw her full outfit.

She wore a white-blue colored dress top with frills decorated on both edges and sides. Her skirt reaches down to her knees which were accompanied by a pair of slippers for her feet. Her hair was silkier than before and the sweet scent of lavender tickled his nose which added to the growing flustered look on his face as he stuttered on the spot.

Wendy knowing his face too well, playfully asked as if acting innocent.

"A-Ah, it's nothing... It's just―you look good in that outfit." Natsu looked away, trying to hide the blush on his cheeks.

Wendy smiled as well, not minding his expression as she tip-toed right next to him as if the compliment didn't cause her to be extremely embarrassed anymore. Rather, it made her happier than she would've expected.

It seems like her shy demeanor vanished. She acts a little more independent more than ever. She was already standing out from the eyes of the other people as some of them caught a glimpse of her as they walked by.

"Is that..."

"Wendy Marvell from Fairy Tail?"

"She's looking beautiful than usual."

"Is that Salamander beside her?"

"Don't tell me... Are they going out?!"

The two could hear the murmurs around them but Natsu grew tired of the stares and got over his embarrassment as he returned his attention back to her.

"Let's go, Wendy."

The sky dragonslayer who was preoccupied with the chatters soon looked back as she took hold of his hand. They walked through the streets as other people continued to stare at them in either shock or disbelief.

After all, this is Fairy Tail they're talking about. Salamander who was known for his dense nature is finally going out with the Sky Maiden. An unusual development they'd say.

Well, it can't be helped.

Only the people of the guild knew about the relationship and they've been quiet about it ever since until the two decided to hold their date together.

They soon arrived at a train station as Wendy looked in confusion at the pinkette who was looking like he didn't mistake their destination.

She thought about heading for some sight-seeing around Magnolia but never expected to go into a train station which is a bad case for dragonslayers like them.

"Ah, Natsu-san? Where are we going?"

"A lot of people are looking right at us. It wouldn't feel right for me to spend time with you if it's like that so we're heading out." He said.

"Where to?"

"To Crocus."

"Eh? But Natsu-san... A train..." She worried about their motion sickness but it seems like Natsu doesn't seem to mind at all. Moreover, he doesn't feel like getting sick any moment despite looking at the train station before them which was something she's been noticing that's been off.

Normally, the two of them would already fall over just by gazing at the transportation but they're not receiving any sort of pain as they walked near it.

Wendy could not feel her stomach churn despite stepping foot inside. The same goes for Natsu as well.

What the hell was going on?

Wendy was confused all over as they were led to an open seat, finally able to relax after a small trip from the guild.

"I don't understand. I don't feel pain riding transportation anymore." She voiced her confusion as Natsu grinned towards her like he already figured it out.

"Right? It happened to me a few days ago when I tried looking for a small job after our celebration. At least, I don't feel anything weird anymore riding trains."

Although coming up with a small explanation behind this unexpected phenomenon, the two could pretty much guess the reason behind it.

Pausing for a moment, the two smiled at each other before stifling a sweet laugh.

"I guess, I was really lucky to have you," Natsu replied.

"Me too..."

Their first date is already beginning.

* * *

 **Crocus.**

* * *

The Flower Blooming Capital of Fiore remains as a standing landmark of the whole country even after years of rebuilding it back to its former glory, suffering from the war against Alvarez. People had been living peacefully and the queen of Fiore continues on governing the whole country in hopes of further improving their relationships with other countries.

Natsu and Wendy thought about the memories they had visiting this place for the first time.

It was at that time when they recently returned from the seven-year gap. The whole guild was back together and prepared themselves for the Grand Magic Games in order to restore their position as the strongest guild in Fiore.

A lot of things happened between them, including the time she was incapacitated on the first day. The initial days looked bleak for their guild but they prevailed and even saved the world from absolute destruction from the dragons.

However, those days were already gone past them and the two had come here to share their best moments with each other.

Although it was regrettable to not tag both Happy and Carla around, they can always invite them on their next date.

"Uuuwwaaaaaaa... They still never changed, huh?"

"Seems so... I wonder if Hisui-sama is working busy again."

"Huh? Isn't she just a princess back then?" Natsu asked, seemingly confused.

"You probably didn't know but Princess Hisui was crowned queen after the war ended. It was at that time when she decided to use all her resources to rebuild the country."

"Mmhmm... sounds like a difficult task, helping the country and sorts. Where's the king?"

"He retired, remember? He entrusted the next line of succession in which this case, his daughter to the country."

"Hmm... Sounds hard."

"Well, that's the job of a queen, Natsu." She smiled sweetly which caught him slightly off guard as his blush returned in the process.

Looking away, he also changed the topic.

"A-Anyways, let's get somewhere to eat! I hear there are some delicious stalls around here." He hastily walked ahead whilst holding her hand in which she simply resigned herself to his requests.

She can't exactly let go of him especially in this huge and unfamiliar city.

A few moments later, they arrived at a cake shop; a similar place where they agreed to meet back at Magnolia.

Unlike from the shop from their town, the place was bigger in comparison to the place. A sweet smell of sweets waffled in the air as several customers walked in to order some of them to satisfy their hunger after a long day's walk.

The two walked inside and it was not long until they were the next one in line for the order.

Wendy was fond of sweets and while she's not as extremely loving as that of the strawberry cake maniac, she still has a slight tendency to indulge when given the chance. It's a good thing she had the restraint of herself unlike the scarlet knight though.

Natsu had ordered some chocolate slice of his own while she had picked a blueberry flavored one.

The two sat on a vacant seat as they spend their time together. They sat near the transparent glass at the edge of the store to give them a bit of a view outside.

A sea of people walked past their visions as they relaxed for now.

Natsu had begun digging first to his slice in such a normal manner. Wendy thought he would just gulp the whole thing down to his stomach but it seems like he's trying to act as composed as he could in front of her.

She giggled in thought but it can't be helped. Doing it in this kind of place might bother the people around them.

"Ne, Natsu..."

"Mmhmm?"

"Aren't you a bit gentle than usual?"

"Hmm? Is that so? Maybe it's because I took advice with Mira just yesterday."

"Mira-san?" Her eyes perked in curiosity.

"Yeah. You know... Dates are something when a girl and boy get together like friends. She said that this is more than that which caught me to thinking that maybe I should take this a bit more seriously, especially when I'm with you." He scratched his head sheepishly.

"...And just like that, I asked her for help."

I see... So the way he acts right now is because he wanted to make the best impression as he can to make their date memorable.

Wendy appreciated the thought but...

"Natsu."

"Yeah?"

"Let's go sightseeing."

"Sure but why the rush?"

"I want to go see something." She grinned playfully as soon as she was finished with her food.

Natsu didn't know what she plans to do but he decides to follow her as they went out of the store after paying the owner the bill. The crowd was still flooding with people and some of them recognizing the two as members of Fairy Tail.

The two waded through the crowd as Wendy leads the way with Natsu hastily following her lead.

"Oi! Wendy! Wait up!"

He couldn't keep up with her speed since she can easily slip past through people as if she was like the wind. Then again, her specialty in magic was air so this is probably something she always had in her despite not being aware of it. To him, she was like a calm breeze that always comes by every once in awhile to give off its soothing feeling.

Natsu would always see this similar situation where he would spot her sitting on a bench together with Carla inside the guild. While the rest of them mostly tend to their rambunctious lifestyle, Wendy would always stand out silently away from the eyes of many, caressing her best friend.

This is one of the reasons why he began to develop feelings towards her. And in just like that, he was slowly drawn to her gentle presence to the point where he eventually confessed to that day.

...

Wendy failed to heed the pinkette's call as she paced on until her feet suddenly tripped on a small stone slab, disrupting her balance.

"Wendy!"

As if to save her from the hard tripping, Natsu caught her just in time as he took hold of her hand.

"I told you to be careful. If I hadn't caught you, you might've injured yourself."

The bluenette looked surprised at what happened but then realized she was being stared at by people as they saw their intertwined hands. It looked to them that they're like one of those fairy tales where a prince would hold close to his princess.

She felt her cheeks rise as she realized this assumption, bringing back her shy nature once again as Natsu helped her back on her feet.

"Geez... You always find the time to trip like that. You sure are very clumsy, I give you that." Natsu teased which didn't go unnoticed as Wendy looked at him with a peevish pout.

"I-I'm trying to improve myself, you know... I just didn't realize my step." She tried excusing her klutz behavior but Natsu was already chuckling to himself, playfully teasing her.

"Muuuoooo... Natsu-san..."

"Sorry, Wendy. Anyways, where are you taking me to?"

"Like I said, we're gonna go sightseeing. We're heading to Domus Flau."

"Isn't that where the games were held? Is there some kind of game going on today?" He asked with a little bit of glint in his eyes, expecting a fight. Wendy sweatdropped upon looking at his somewhat determined expression but it was something she wanted to see on their date.

"No, silly. We're just going to relax there." She softly replied.

"Ah, is that so? Well, why didn't you tell me that?"

"It's a secret." She winked which was unlike of her. Natsu, however, having to hear a little secret from her felt curious. His face now averted from being battle-ready into a curious person as he traced his eyes back on her.

"What's this little secret? Can you tell me?"

"Nope." She quickly denied.

"Come on, Wendy! Teeeell Meeeee..."

Okay, now he's just being childish. Wendy couldn't deny that cute side of him either as a small blush appeared on her cheeks once again. But then she remembered her original plan as she regained her composure and looked at him with serious eyes.

"Alright, then let's have a challenge." She proposed which caught him off guard as the pinkette stopped and stared at her in surprise.

"Challenge?"

"Yup. See that large statue over there near Domus Flau? Whoever gets to the top last will do anything that the other says."

Now isn't this a bit unexpected?

Natsu never thought of her issuing a challenge to someone which was unlike of her since Wendy had often avoided fights and other challenges from other people unless she needs to. Seeing her proposing a simple yet interesting challenge shocked him a bit but then calmed down as soon as he heard the conditions.

"You sure about this, Wendy?" His eyes narrowed.

"Yep."

"I wouldn't hold back even if it's you." He warned, his eyes relit with passion as Wendy noticed his determination to beat her in their challenge.

"I knew you wouldn't."

"Then that condition. You're gonna swear on it." He asked for confirmation. For some reason, Wendy thought about other consequences of their challenge which then caused her to blush madly at some certain circumstances that might happen if she loses their bid.

"N-Nothing obscene or anything, alright?!" She stuttered, making sure he wouldn't have to make her do those _'things'._

"I don't get what you mean but I understand."

Seeing how they're finally decided to issue the challenge, the two dragonslayers locked their eyes towards each other as they filled themselves with determination.

It looks like their date is turning into something more of a competition rather than an actual event of spending time around the city.

At that moment, Wendy lightly tapped one of her feet to the ground as a burst of air erupted around her, causing Natsu to stagger back as he regained his composure, only to look at the distance as Wendy took off ahead of her.

"HEY! THAT'S CHEATING!"

"No one said about not using magic!" Wendy shouted from the distance as she leaped between rooftops and made her way towards the large stadium with the aid of her magic alongside her.

Natsu smirked as his heart felt somewhat lively than ever.

"Alright! I'm all fired up!"

And in just like that, he soon took off as he soared towards the air with the use of his flames to boost his speed.

Much like Wendy, he trailed from behind following her figure as they ran through rooftops to bypass the crowd walking from below. Onlookers stopped by to see them ran through the high buildings as if looking like they were seeing some spectacular show right in front of them.

The two continued on their way towards the stadium as they sighted the structure in front of them. Wendy can notice the pinkette trailing behind him as he released more flames from his hands to boost him forward. Even as something as a simple challenge, he really doesn't hold anything back.

I guess, he was really looking forward to getting that reward from her.

Wendy jumped high into another tall structure, running to the walls with her sky dragonslayer magic. Expelling air from her hands, she flew high in such speeds, reaching to the top with ease as she can see the finish line.

Just one more leap to the large statue's head then it's her victory.

"You're not bad Wendy but..." She heard him speak.

But as she was about make the jump, her eyes traced a crimson blur from the side as Natsu suddenly dashed away from her, surrounded by flames.

The bluenette widened her eyes in surprise as she saw him finally ahead of her, about to claim the first place from her at the last moment.

"THIS IS MY WIN!"

However, Wendy merely stared at him as his figure blazed right towards the statue. Because his eyes were focused on looking behind at her, he never noticed his trajectory and merely crashed into the large statue's face, causing a slight dust cloud.

Eventually, Natsu recovered but as he crawled his way to the top, Wendy had already finished.

A smirk was plastered on her face she claimed her first victory over the pinkette.

"My win."

"That's bull! I want a rematch!"

"Nope. A loser must keep his end of the bargain. The result doesn't lie, Natsu-san."

She knew Natsu isn't the type of person who would lose to someone and would always come up with a rematch at every challenge he lost.

But since it's her he was facing, he resigned to his loss and accepted the result.

I guess even losing to a simple match, it seems vexing to him at least.

"Okay... You win... Your orders are mine to follow." He smiled.

It's not like they both have something to lose here. From how they see it, they wouldn't mind who's the winner or loser between them.

And now... Natsu being the loser to obey her request, complied as he stood next to her as Wendy felt a bit embarrassed about how the atmosphere was slowly turning between them.

It's not like she was asking him to do some certain things. She wouldn't do that... Oh, noooooooo!

Never would she request as something indecent like that. Well, at least not yet but―

 _'_ _Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! I can't think straight!'_ Wendy screamed inwardly as she tried to erase her dirty thoughts.

She was feeling ashamed right now. Thinking all sort of things like that even to someone as gentle as her.

Her face lit from red to crimson. Even any sort of movements doesn't seem to function for her right now as she was preoccupied with her own twisted thoughts. Natsu noticed her expression which prompted him to ask.

"Ummm, Wendy?"

Fortunately, his voice snapped her out from her daze as she instinctively turned her eyes over to him, seemingly embarrassed.

"Y-Yes."

"So about your request..." It seems he was looking forward to it as well but...

Again with her thoughts! She mentally slapped herself for not being able to contain herself.

She was not like this earlier so why she was acting this much flustered about giving him a request.

 _'_ _It's only a simple request, right? Nothing too serious, alright... Focus Wendy!'_ She straightened herself as possible as she can as she finally looked at him in determination.

This was the second time they had eye contact with each other this close. As a result, her blush returned but she managed to mutter something underneath her breath.

"C-C-Can you... hug me?"

There was a slight pause between them as Wendy couldn't look straight in the eye, wanting to hide her embarrassment before she can talk normally. However, at that moment, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her figure as Natsu embraced her as she requested him to.

"Like this?"

Wendy felt her heart beat fast from the hug but soon, it settled down alongside with her blush as she felt the warmth that was emanating from his body, probably from his constitution as a fire dragonslayer. It's something that's convenient for him to stay warm even in cold temperatures. Natsu never once felt cold because of this and he could radiate heat to those around him to keep them warm as well.

Right now, he also released an ample amount of heat that's perfect for the cold wind brushing past them.

She felt calm just by feeling his presence close to him.

"Hnn..." She nodded as she snuggled close to his chest.

A few seconds transpired between them as they both eased from each other's embrace.

And at that moment, Natsu muttered softly beside her.

"You know... you could just ask me if you wanted a hug even without requesting me to."

"I just want you to be yourself... that's why I decided to challenge you a bit."

"I see... Well, I did feel a bit alive so thanks, Wendy."

They smiled as they both sat down together. They expended a lot of energy going up in this place so they rested and spend the rest of their time together till sunset.

* * *

 **...**

* * *

A few hours passed and the day eventually ended with the two returning back to Magnolia as the sun sets over the horizon.

Natsu escorted Wendy back to the dorm just in time as she walked ahead of him, moving past the gates surrounding Fairy Hills. The pinkette stood on the other side since this is as far as he can go with her. Boys aren't allowed to step inside so he can't complain.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Wendy glanced back with a sweet smile in which he returned with a smile of his own.

"Sure... Rest well, alright?"

"Okay."

Even throughout the end of their date, he still gave her a parting consideration towards her well-being. It really shows just how much he cared for her deeply.

Natsu soon turned away as well, making his way back to his own home until he was stopped after her voice called him back.

"Natsu!"

The pinkette slowly glanced back as his ears picked up footsteps coming straight towards him.

At that moment, his eyes soon widened as he saw a glimpse of blue hair swaying gracefully in his eyes as well as a pair of warm lips connecting to his own. Wendy had leaped forward as she pushed herself towards him in which he caught in order not to get tackled. At the same time, the feelings she collected from this date were conveyed into this warm kiss.

The kiss lasted only for a few seconds as she pulled herself back from him with a sweet blush and a lovely smile that she would only show to him alone.

"Thank you. For this date."

Showing him gratitude for this day, Wendy did one of the things she wanted to do with him at the end of this day. Natsu merely smiled, accepting her gift wholeheartedly as they both ended their date on a sweet note.

"You're welcome."

* * *

 **A/N: And there you have it. A fluffy date between our two adorable dragonslayers. The next theme would be Conflict but as I said from the previous chapters, there would be changes in the theme since the next theme was kinda performed at the Confession part so I'll make some changes with the title and replace it with something else. It's not like we're obliged to follow themes strictly so look forward to it.**

 **I'll see you guys in the next theme/chapter.**

 **\- The wiErDos send their regards...**


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